Imphal: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has submitted a memorandum to state Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, seeking clarification regarding the constitutional status of the State’s 60-member Legislative Assembly, which has not convened since August 2024.
In the memorandum, the MPCC raised five pointed constitutional questions over the existence of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly under Article 174 of the Indian Constitution.
The move comes amid continued political uncertainty in the state, which has been under President’s Rule since February 13, following the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh on February 9 a day before a scheduled assembly session that was abruptly cancelled.
Leading the delegation was N Bhupenda Meitei, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Executive Panel member (Department of Law, HR and RTI), who, along with senior MPCC members, submitted the letter on Tuesday through state party president Keisham Meghachandra.
The letter laid out a series of direct constitutional inquiries. Among the questions raised were, “Is it to be concluded that the present 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, as it stands since 12th February 2025, or as it stands today, is alive?”
Secondly, “Is it to be concluded that the present 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, as it stands since 12th February 2025, or as it stands today, is dead?”
Third, “Is it to be concluded that the present 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, as it stands since 12th February 2025, or as it stands today, is constitutionally deemed to be dissolved?”
Fourth, “Is it to be concluded that the present 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly suffices necessary conditions for the Hon’ble Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly under Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution of India?”
And lastly, “Is it to be concluded that any actions or Orders of the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur, in future, to summon the next assembly sitting as per Article 174 of the Constitution of India, if, in case, a new Chief Minister of Manipur is to demonstrate his/her floor test in the Legislative Assembly, would tantamount to a violation of Article 174(1), and hence, the Hon’ble Governor would be constitutionally barred from summoning the sitting for the next assembly session of the remaining term of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly?”
“The last sitting of the 60-member House was held on August 12, 2024, and according to Article 174(1) of the Constitution of India, the next sitting ought to have been mandatorily held on or before February 11. However, Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister on February 9, and on that day, the Governor declared his January 24 order summoning the Assembly for February 11 to be null and void,” said Congress spokesperson and advocate Ningombam Bupenda Meitei.
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The MPCC has said that if the Governor fails to issue a definitive response to the constitutional questions raised, it will consider approaching the courts to seek judicial interpretation on the assembly’s status
